Illegal Mods: Fellow Ode Espresso Grinder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Fellow is right when they tell you not to use a stock Ode for espresso, but with a few choice mods you can turn a great brew grinder into a great espresso grinder. These modifications allow the Ode to grind fine enough for espresso, lower retention, and provide precise control over grind size. In this video, I highlight the modifications I’ve made to my Ode to turn it into a daily driver espresso grinder.
Disclaimer: Perform these at your own risk and do not expect Fellow to honor their warranty after making these modifications.
The mods include:
New burrs + alignment: • Installing and Alignin...
Stepless mod: www.thingivers...
Bellows: www.thingivers...
Vernier mod: github.com/jki...
The Vernier scale is GENIUS. I would love to have this kind of precision on all grinders
The absolute best video I’ve seen in a long time. Extremely intuitive! And Not Paid For!!! Helpful.
Fellow just give this man your production line.
Hot loading (loading while the motor is already running) helps with grinding that fine with light roasts and prevented stalling for me.
This also works for me, but some coffee is still too light for slow feeding.
cant speak to Prady beans but i havent had any issues slow feeding beans with SSP MPs at espresso range with fairly light roasts ive run through it (wendleboe).
@@austin3878 Wendelboe is a medium roast compared to mood trap :D Hand grinding them next to each other is like night and day.
I don’t know how I landed here, but this was the video I did not know I needed
I couldn't get my head around the Vernier scale, maybe I need to read up on it but it sure seems like a good idea. Will definitely be interested when I get my ode.
You are a real mechanical engineer! So impressed.
It's hilarious that the grinder beeps SOS when it stalls
was about to comment the same.
Ha! I love this video! Everyone speculates what will happen and you just toss some rocks in there and answer it! Love the Vernier, good job.
+1 for the vernier scale, that’s awesome. Will look out for that becoming available. Laser printing onto vinyl sheet might work well?
Thanks a lot for this great stuff, the mods in 3d formats are genius!
Wow, love the simple and ingenious engineering! I need to apply this to my Urbanic 070s!
Lets get the vernier mod!
Vernier scale for the WIN!
You might want to try just a few beans at a time while it's running. Thats what they told me at Fellow and it's working.
Thank you a lot, you saved me money and headache.
I wonder how difficult it would be to install a stronger motor
When I was young I'd buy a speedy car and spend lots of money to make it faster. As I got older and could afford to do so, I found it was better to buy a car that was already very fast from the factory. Instead of tinkering and modifying a cheap machine, save up and buy a quality machine.
It was very interesting, thanks! I'm thinking, how possible is changing the engine?
try to use the grinder like an EK - Turn on the grinder and then feed the beans in. Could work :)
You Are a Genius. Thanks a lot!
Hey, how has been your experience so far? Did you get any issues along the road?
That grind stall happened to my EG-1 numerous times
I have seen others remove the spring-loaded pin altogether instead of installing the additional 3d-printed plate you’ve designed. And then simply relying on the teflon tape for friction. I assume you have tried simply removing the pin before designing the replacement… how do you think it compares? Do you feel the new plate/pin is totally necessary?
the only thing I didn't understand what model burr you installed for espresso grinding :)
Waiting for your Vernier Mod man, Great work!
it's on github, I've updated the description!
May I ask how to cast burrs compare to the df64 italmill burrs for espresso in terms of body and clarity?
Dang, I thought those beans were green! I gotta try something like that sometime.
Awesome video and mods. Thanks for sharing! Is there anywhere that I can buy these mods? I don’t have a 3D printer.
I guess that your custom micron scale doesn't refer to the peak particle size of the coffee but something else? If the burrs are x microns away from each other, does that correspond to the same size of coffee produced? Thanks
Generally speaking, a smaller burr gap will result in smaller particles. If you are grinding the same coffee with the same general conditions (temperature, humidity, bean age, etc) then you should see similar extraction times and yields at a fixed grind setting.
Any statement further than that is quite nuanced and not all that well understood. Particle shape and size distribution is a function of burr geometry as much as it is burr spacing. Other factors such as the grinder speed or coffee itself also play a big role.
@@jkimmakes thank you. I accept that shape and distribution are variable but is it fair to say that the burr gap dictates peak particle size? I've got some SSP Multi-Purpose burrs on the way and am trying to decide between the ode and DF64. It's important to me that the grind settings be repeatable and having a decent amount of control and range on the settings. Your Vernier scale looks good, I don't think anything like that exists for the DF64.
This is how mankind made it to the moon
How long have you been using it for espresso grinding? I.e. how long has it held up for being used in that way? Lots of people are saying that 'theoretically' the motor won't hold up, but it would be good to see actual practical evidence...
Great video. Where can I get one of those “purgers” for my Ode?
You are one sick puppy.
John to Fellow:
"Say My name!!!"
My mignon zero has a dial with thirds on it too 😂
Would it be worthwhile to add a one-way valve to the bellows? I wonder if it's both pushing and pulling air through the grinder as it is now.
You mentioned something all these "top" reviewers barely mention, or skim over, and thats the grind precision of espresso grinders. The 1mm thread pitch. Many espresso grinders are stepless, and reviewers really need to mention this.
I use a Eureka 54mm and the adjust knob is horrible, as you can never get it dialed in with ease. I waste 3-7 shots. Also that when ON under load the adjuster moves different than off. I think you would set yourself even more apart and important if you do videos on grinders that focus on ease of finding grind settings. Maybe I have been torturing myself with the Eureka, and other grinders are precise and easy to change coffee types for espresso? I dont even drink drip, so I dont even change it a large amount.
Decafe needs even lower setting for espresso.
You know the bellows? I'm trying to print it from a website. What's the infill? 20% 50%?
Great video and love the mods! I’m curious if you printed the bellow using the file that’s on thingiverse? I tried printing it twice with my mk3s but the sides started caving in on the print near the half way point (if that makes sense)
Any advice or special things you did for the print?
I just printed with the sainsmart TPU profile using sainsmart TPU. I didn't adjust anything other than that.
when calibrated for espresso - can you still go coarse enough for brew methods such as French press, etc...? or do you have to recalibrate again? I understand that the dial maxes out at the 11 setting.
Hmm i just did the stepless mod using your 3D prints, and I replaced the burrs. However, I ran the grinder without beans to test, and the grinder does stop and beeps - as if there is a jam. Any idea where it could be?
Any updates? Has the motor had any issues over the past number of months? Thanks
Did you buy bellow somewhere or 3D print it? Thanks
OK, my ode arrives this week so checking in to see if you have a link for the Vernier scale? 🙏 Don't mind if it's rough around the edges. Thanks!
I just added this to my github: github.com/jkimmakes/vernier/blob/main/ode_dial_v2_bw.svg
Fascinating trick with the teflon tape, I am going to try that. I have one auger that gets stuck sometimes and another one that never gets stuck because it is looser. Is the tighter auger going to have less lash and therefore more stable alignment?
I'm assuming the answer is yes, but I've been scared to use it in case it becomes permanently stuck. However, that pick trick seems like the best way I've seen to remove a stuck auger. Thanks for the great content!
instead of messing around your drip coffee grinder, why don't you just get one for espresso?
because it's free assuming you already like good coffee and switched the burrs. a new grinder is a few hundred dollars
Since you have both the ode and df64 with ssp's may I ask if the df64 with ssp runs a lot louder especially when grinding beans?
The DF feels louder to me, but I never measured the sound difference when they both had same burrs. The DF with SSP MPs sounds like a jet engine. The Ode with cast burrs sound low pitched and rumbly. I don't remember the Ode with SSP MPs ever sounding quite as high pitched as the DF does, but also never really paid much attention to it.
Do you have to make it strapless once you install ssp burrs in order to make it effective? Or can you keep the dial the same ?
All those mods can be done in isolation, but if you're dialing in espresso, it really helps to have a stepless mod
Are you still using the v1 cast burrs? Or did you end up putting the v2 in?
My v2 burrs are coming this week!
@@jkimmakes Nice! You’re gonna love them. The geometry is the same, but for some reason, they also perform better. Even if you’ve aligned the v1 perfectly.
@@jkimmakes I've been using them for a few days I love them so far, I know the back is machined as well.
@@jkimmakes thoughts after using your v2 burrs? Still worth getting the SSPs instead?
How often you need to clean your burr for espresso daily?
Question (for those of us without a 3D printer) are you willing to also sell the step-less mod and vernier scale as a finished product?
I've pitched it to my dad and he seems interested in doing so once he gets a handle on the WDT demand.
@@jkimmakes How about the bellows?
the stepless mod is incredibly simple to do. you don't need to fill in holes or anything like that flip the little knob that holds the notches in place around, put some tape or rubber on it. put electrical tape on the plate to cover the holes and increase friction, if you need more friction you can add some adhesive I literally used a little bit of syrup with some coffee grounds to increase the friction and it works perfectly. i would totally buy a really high-quality sticker of the vernier scale tho.
F for limau mkali
How do you know for certain that the scale of your vernier is correct? i.e. when you increase by 100 micron, is that actually changing the average particle size 100 microns larger?
You don't know that the particle size is changing linearly with respect to burr gap size. Particle size distribution is more complicated than burr gap.
You seem to have opened the Ode a lot, have you encountered stripping on the screw? If so, how did you fix/replace it?
I haven’t stripped any screws on the ode, but definitely have stripped many screws. There are a bunch of tips on how to remove a stripped screw, but the one that works best for me is cutting a slot into it with a dremel and then using a standard screwdriver to remove it.
In my more experienced old age, I can usually identify screws with the potential of stripping before I actually strip them. A JIS screwdriver helps a lot with Philips head screws and other times an impact hammer is the way to go. With grinders in particular, take extra care to clean out the screw head recess before attempting to remove it and always use a properly fitting screwdriver.
I only unplug the grinder the first time I clean it. If it behaves well I don't unplug it next time. My fingers have redundancy. If I lose one I will still have 19.
The gaggia mdf with a smaller 100w-120w motor can grind super light roast espresso all day and not stall because of the gear-reduction. The Ode is offered with day 1 DLC in the form of purposefully crippled burr sets. Boo.
If you start the grinder and then slow feed the beans in, you can get away with grinding Nordic roasts espresso-fine
Damn, the company should pay you for consulting.
Bro why would you want to grind espresso with a brew grinder just grind it with the df
Hey! @ 11:35, I was thinking of doing something similar with the teflon. Doesn't it wear out though? I can gently push on my detent screw and it will cause misalignment. See here: th-cam.com/video/JItHk6fp9g8/w-d-xo.html
AND
There is this: th-cam.com/video/JItHk6fp9g8/w-d-xo.html
The other thought I have been having is that I simply have not spent enough money on a grinder...
Thanks
No offense but for the money u spent on that, you can just buy a used kr804 and install e80 burrs for alittle bit more cash
this mod is better for pourover enthusiasts like me who want to do espresso occasionally. its free because most of us already have good burrs it just takes like 20 mins to make it stepless
Solution: don’t grind pradybeans
it will burn out the motor much quicker when you grind for espresso in a machine that's not designed for it.